515 NOVEMBER28, 1941 SCIEMCE

in the issue of SCIEKCE of October 24, 1941, quotes rile

so inaccurately. I t is stated (page 389) with a footnote reference to

the N e w Y o r k Tinzes, "Dr. S. 12. Powers . . . describes the results of a five-year survey. . . ." I have nerer a t any time mritten for this newspaper. The descrip- tion referred to mas done by a staff reporter of the newspaper and printed under the reporter's name. The statements that '.conventional treatment of science ~vi l l go by the board" and about "scrambled courses," although attributed to me in the newspaper article, were not made by me and do not represent my views even approximately. I n general the statements are meaningless when subjected to scrutiny and are irrele- vant to the mork that is being clone under In5 direction.

The work in progress is carried on under an organi- zation known as the Bureau of Educational Research in Science, of Teachers College, Colurnbia University, with cooperation of ell-trained critical15 minded high-school teachers and with advice and assistance froin scientific men with impeccable reputations as teachers and research workers. Further inforination about the mork of the bureau may be had from the Teachers College Record, January, 1939; Repor t o f t he Dean of Teaclzers College, 1940; General Educa- t ion Ronicl dlinlcal Report . 1939 and 1940; and from the bureau's publications obtainable through the Bu- reau of Publications, Teachers College, Columbia Uni- versity.

S. R. POWERS TEACHERSCOLLEGE,

C O L L ~ ~ B I A UNIVERSITY

T H E COMPARATIVE COST O F L O A N S E R V I C E AND O F MICROFILM

COPYING I N LIBRARIES

INa cliscussionl of "The Place of LIicrofilin Copying in Library Organization," the view mas expressed that this method of rendering library service might be or- ganized in a manner that would permit its operation a t no greater cost than that of lending books. A n opportunity to examine this cluestion more carefully has since been obtained and the expectation has been confirilied that the actual cost of these two methods of rendering library sen-ice is not very different.

I n regard to the cost of making nlicrofilms a n analysis2 of the operation of hIedicofilm Service showed that in groups of 100 orders tile total expen- diture f o r materials and work a t the wage rate of $1.00 per hour mas $17.25 or 174 cents per micro- film. This included the time required to obtain the books from the shelves and to replace them after use, as -rvell as that devoted to verifying the filin copies and mailing them out, but did not include the time re-

1 Seidell, SCIENCE, 94: 114-5, August 1, 1941. 2 Seidell, Joz~r. Docur)tentnry Ile~~roduciioiz, 4: S o . 3,

September, 1941.

quired for keeping the accounts and collecting for the -rvork done.

Although the extent and practice in regard to lend- ing books varies greatly in different libraries, the experience in the Army 3ledical Library of Washing- ton is p r o b a b l ~ typical of Inan5 of the larger reference libraries. I n this library one employee, devoting her entire time to this work, keeps the records of all books which go out on loan. Others obtain them from the shelves and replace them when returned. Further-more, tile wrapping and mailing is attended to by a library messenger. During the last five years the fol- lowing number of books have been loaned annually:

Year Xu~nber loaned

1940 . 14,000 Average, 13,607

Of these, about 20 per cent. go to local governinen- tal institutions and are called for by messengers and the remainder are sent and returned by mail f o r which the postage is prepaid b ~ - the borrower.

The working schedule in gorernmental departments is 44 hours per week, 11-hich with cleductions fo r holi- days and annual leave corresponds to 2,065 hours per year. On the basis of wages a t $1.00 per hour. the actual cost per book loaned is $2,068 t 13,607= $.15. I f to this is added the 3 cents which is the cost of obtaining each book used for n~icrofilrlling and replac- ing it on the shelf as well as the cost of wrapping supplies and messenger service fo r 80 per cent. of the books loaned, the total cost is appreciably higher than that of making and sending out microfilm copies.

There are, of couTse, advantages and disadvantages in both of these methods of rendering library service. From the standpoint of the borrower it is evident that those who have not yet become accustoilied to using microfilms will object to receiving one in lieu of the loan of the book itself. Others, however, mill appre- ciate the advantage of being able to keep the micro- film copy. From the standpoint of library operation there is little doubt that microfilnl service has out-standing advantages in permitting the collections to remain intact fo r tlleiT more uninterrupted use as well as reducing wear and tear of the books.

The evidence here presented shows that libraries could substitute free microfilm service to the same extent that free lending service is now rendered with- out increasing the cost of operation. I f the demand f o r microfilms increased sufficieritlg to tax the funds available fo r this purpose, a ~ e r ysrnall charge for the microfilms would probably be sufficient to keep expenses within the allotments fo r this feature of

~ ~ ,

516 SCIENCE VOL.94, NO.2448

library service. I n this manner it mould be possible a factor of great importance in estimating savings for many reference libraries to extend the scope of made by the micle use of the microfilm. their usefulness beyond present limits. ATHERTOWf a r their SEIDELL Lastly, the lessened cost MEDICOFILMof rebinding books due to SER~ICE, TTear and tear in transit through the mails, represents ARXP L~EDICBLL I B R ~ R P

QUOTATIONS PROBLEMS CONFRONTING MEDICAL

INVESTIGATORS

INa recent address a t the fiftieth anniversary cele- bratlon of Stanford University, Dr. JT7alter B. Can-nonl presented some questions mhich deserve careful study. The shift in age grouping of the population, with increasing percentages of the elderly and the aged, now widely recognized as a fact, has presented the medical profession with a series of new problems. As one grows older, Cannon points out, the fires of life burn less ~igoronsly and the adjustments of bodily organs to emergencies tend to be impaired- the breath is shorter, the heart beats less effectively, blood pressure gradually rises as the years pass and becomes ill adapted to critical requirealents. Are these features essential attributes of the elderly or are they the consequences of conlfortable and habitual indolence? I n middle age soine of these effects mag result from inactivity alone and can be reversed by training: is this true in the later decades? I f so, should attempts be made to alter theni? What. Can- non sags, mould be the effects if the3 were altered? These questions offer possibilities for useful research. Alniost none of the nlost prominent disorders of senescence are thoroughly understood. The prex-ail- ing ignorance, it may be assumed, is largely due to lack of systematic study. The challenge presented by realization of doubtless receive many this fact ~ i ~ i l l answers. Severe demands on the nervous systeni, ~ ~ h i c hmay have arisen in part from the remarkable shift in the occupation of the citizens, often result in calls fo r medical attention. A disorder of the brain may fail to be revealed a t necropsy or under the microscope. And yet emotional upsets which leave in the nerx-ous pathways no ~ i s i b l e trace have concrete and o b ~ i o u s effects and may be the occasion for profound misery and suffering. The gradual on-

set of disabilities, bodily and mental, in the later years of life demancls, Cannon believes, long-range studies on the possible influence of inheritance, early injuries, severe infections in childhood and youth, frustrated plans, the demands of labor and probably many other conditioning experiences. Cannon also calls attention to the disastrous cooperation of dis-ease, pain and early death when warring hosts or nations battle against nations for supremacy. Inter-national dex-elopments unquestionably have affected medical research in a warping of scientific activities a v a y froin untramnleled pursuits toward problems of military significance, hIedical investigators, hom- ever, by learning the nature and cure of malnntn-tion, by devising appropriate treatment fo r shock and hemorrhage and in many other ways have serx-ed to nlitlgate the torilients and ravages of I~ar fa re . One of the results of the present war already has been a more intimate association of a highly desirable nature with medical investigators In Latin American nations. Finally Cannon emphasizes as one of the biggest problenls facing medical investigators the fill- ing of their own ranks. This is indeed primary, and, unless well-equipped recruits can be attracted to the career of the investigator, progress mill end. Cannon dwells a t some length on the attractions and rewards of medical investigators, pointing out particularly one consideration eminently creditable to their efforts : "Because life and health are precious and medical research is deeply concerned with protecting life and health, the triumphs of that research are put to use without regard to any national or racial difference. . . . Even though the beneficiaries may despise their benefactors, they must receive the benefactions. . . . The conquest of a disease, it should be remembered, is a per~nanent conquest."--The J o z l ~ n o l of the Anzer-ican J f ~ d i c a l Associcrtion.

SCIENTIFIC BOOKS T H E LABORATORY MOUSE J . H. DIXGLE, I-Iarx-ard Medical School. Philadel-

B i o l o g y of the L a b o r a t o r y Jfouse. By the STAFF phia: Blabiston Company. lg4'. THIS book is the joint r ~ o r k of the staff of theof the R~~~~~ B. ~ ~nfernorial~ ~ l ;~ ~ b ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Roscoe B. Jackson Laboratory, under the editorship with a chapter on Infectious Diseases of Mice by of G. D. Snell. Some chapters are short non no graphs

m.B. ~slllloll, u~~~~~~~~Collfrollting Medical Illves. on subjects in the investigations of which the Jackson

tigators," SCIENCE,94: 171-179, August 22, 1941. Laboratory has prominently participated, while other